Battaglin

In the press

Giovanni Battaglin, the elegant sprinter who did damage

by Gino Sala

“Take me to Battaglin, I want to meet him. I’m curious to see if he’s ever heard of me, or at least my writing,” Gianni Brera asked me one a morning during the 1981 Giro d’Italia. “It would be dishonorable if I didn’t know of you Sir,” was the response of the young man from Marostica, seemingly a mere boy speaking with a touch of emotion in his voice, as he extended his hand to the famous writer. Youthful Giovanni Battaglin upheld his invitation to visit his family’s home in the Veneto countryside where they cultivated a small orchard of cherry trees, a fruit of which I have always had a keen fondness. A likeable boy with a very youthful presence, one would have guessed he was maybe twenty years old, rather than over thirty, when he triumphed in the Vuelta and, soon after, the Giro d’Italia. Handsome, with a perfect athletic build, you would never think that he had respiratory problems that compromised his VO2 by as much as 50% at times. An excellent climber, a force on the flats and a powerful sprinter, he was rightfully feared by all. Judged by Bernard Hinault as a sprinter who was able to do damage, forcing the others to respond or they’d be never catch him before the finish line once he took off.

Battaglin’s sixth place in the Tour de France simply didn’t do justice to the stature of his talent. It was the summer of 1979 and Giovanni would have arrived behind Hinault had he not been penalized ten minutes because of a medication for his respiratory ailments unwittingly prescribed by his family doctor. His was by far the best climber of Jacques Anquetil “quality”. Again in the summer of ’79, another far more prestigious title, to be placed in his trophy case, was lost as a result of two serious incidents that an impartial, serious jury should have discounted.

The Valkenburg, Netherlands, World Championships episode, Sunday 25 August ,will remain vividly in my memory. I’ll never forget the battle for the rainbow jersey that had its climax in the ascent of Cauberg, where the contender Raas, in his hometown, was repeatedly pushed by his domestique Lubberding. Battaglin was more aggressive and determined than ever, cutting down the field with his repeated attacks. He would have pressed on to win had it not been for a crash that ground the race to a halt during the last lap on the Cauberg. In the end it was evident that of the final five in the breakaway the strongest was the Italian racer wearing his country’s signature blue color.

I was, and remain, of the opinion that Giovanni had the potential to beat Raas, who showed signs of lagging. With a mere 150 meters to the conclusion, Battaglin launched into his sprint, only to be blocked with a grievous act of poor sportsmanship and cowardice committed by the German, Thurau—in league with the Dutch. Thurau made a dangerous deviation of his course from right to left, immediately followed by a smashing elbow blow by Rass, which threw him to the ground and cost him the rainbow jersey. Of course I and many others had hoped the jury would consider the complaint lodged by Alfredo Martini. Much to our disappointment and disgust, the judges met for one hour and overturned the appeal. They were influenced by pressure from Dutch race organizers, who wanted the victory for Raas, as well as a rising frenzy from local fans (under the influence of the strong local ale). In the end, the judges did not have the courage to establish the truth of the facts and Battaglin, weeping and bruised, had to settle for sixth place.

Who knows how many times Giovanni’s thoughts wander to the narrowly missed opportunity of winning a rainbow jersey in Valkenburg ’79, a trophy that would given glory to his career. Regardless, he shall remain a legend of cycling, a racer of genuine class, elegance and style, which distinguishes a true champion. Even today, Battaglin personifies this style, which has helped him become a successful entrepreneur in the cycling industry, and his local community of Marostica can be proud of his achievements.

 

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Article by Tony lo Schiavo

“The race was just over and the frenzy at the end of the stage was greater than usual. Davide Boifava was in a hurry to go to see the location of the next day’s time-trial. The Vuelta’s rankings would change and, in his hopes, had to change in a certain way. As the pitch of the road increased and daylight faded even more, Davide studied the sky and confessed his fears while studying the course.

“If there was rain the next day who knows how Giovanni would react. But if the sky was cause for concern, the course gave him solace. Upon his return to the hotel the team mechanic told him that the winning blow could happen on that road. But Battaglin was wary. Too often fate had turned its back on him. The next day, on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada, Giovanni Battaglin would seize the ‘Amaryllis’ jersey and would thus begun to settle accounts with destiny.

“Giovanni Battaglin was a true champion, a skillful, first-class climber capable of exceptional performance against the stopwatch as a time-trialer, but his palmares (outstanding career victories), however impressive, do not do adequate justice to the character and tenacity of the athlete. Only an individual with remarkable fortitude and determination could overcome a series of incidents that cost him a Giro d’Italia, a podium at the Tour and perhaps a World Championship in Valkenburg.

“Despite his series of misfortunes, Giovanni was able to come back with a prodigious season in 1981, succeeding in earning two consecutive victories, the Vuelta and the Giro d’Italia, which before him only Merckx had been able to obtain. In Spain he had waited to play his winning card on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada. Immediately after, he returned to Italy for the start of the Giro in Trieste.

“The race seemed to have belonged to Saronni, but Giovanni attained the pink jersey in San Vigilio di Marebbe, proving himself to be the master in time-trialing, and then concluding his triumph at the Arena of Verona.

“Thus, in a month and a half, Battaglin had gathered the glory of a career and proper recognition of his worth: a well-rounded racer who has continued to personify his dream with determination and grit by building quality bicycles that are highly respected around the world.”

—Tony Lo Schiavo